Phonograph sound-chamber or horn.



F. C. LYON.

PHONOGRAPH SO'UND' CHAMBER 0R HORN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE n. 1918.-

1 ,295Q91 1. Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

INVENTO K- useful Phonograph UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIOE.

rnnn o. LYON, or FAYETTE, onto.

PHONOGRAPH SOUND-CHAMBER 0R- BIOEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed June 11, 1918; Serial No. 239,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. LYON, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Fayette, in the county of Fulton and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and, Sound Chamber 0r Horn; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had i to theaccompanying drawings, and to the haracters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates particularly to sounding boxes or horns forphonographs, and has for its object the provision of certainimprovements on features of the device described and claimed in myco-pending application Serial Number 220,7 -17 filed March 6, 1918,whereby to enhance the tone pro ducing qualities thereof. Other objectsand advantages of the invention will be appar-.

ent from thevfollowing detailed description. YVhile the invention, inits broader aspect, is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, apreferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical sectionof device embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a reduced plan viewthereof, with portions broken. away, and Fig. 3 is an.

' enlarged front end elevation of the device.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a horn, which, in its presentform, is rectangular in cross-section and has its opposedwalls flaringoutward from its inner ends. The opening at the inner end of the horn islong and narrow in CI'OSSS'BCUOHZli contour,

the sizethereof being preferably approx} inately 1"X8, although this maybe varied without departing from the sDirit of the invention. I

A neck 2 extends rearward, from the inner small end of the horn, and atube or con-- duit 3 extends upwardfrozn the. rear end of the neck andconnects with and forms an extension of the customary tone-arm couduitof the phonograph, as is well understood in the art. The neck 2gradually broadens in horizontal width from its rear to its forward end,as shown in Fig. 2, and, in the present instance, the bottom walliof-thc neck is flat and substantially horizontal while the top wall orroof portion 5 thereof is made of gable-roof form in advance of theconduit 3 with the ridge of the gable extending transversely of theneck. The neck 2, at its for ward end, corresponds in cross-sectionalshape to the rear end'opening of the horn, while the rear end portion ofthe neck, at or adjacent to the front edge of the conduit 3 and the rearedge of the gable portion 5 of the roof, is of greater depth than thedepth of the inner end opening of the horn but of less width than suchopening, it being found in practice and from experiments that the besttone results are ob.- tained by making the dimensions of the neck atsuch point approximately 15 in depth by 4 1' in width. It is also foundin ractice and from experiments that the extent of rise ofthe'roofportion 5 depends on the length of the neck or the distance between thereduced rear end of the horn and the forward edge of the conduit 3 atits point of connection with the neck. In the present embodiment thedistance referred to is approximately 7 while the vertical height of theroof ridge from the floor or bottom 4: of the neck is substantially 24;.It is found, however, that upon a lengthening of the neck the rise ofthe roof should be reduced accordingly and that upon a shortening of theneck the rise should be increased accordingly, the best tone resultsvolume of the neck, substantially as designated. It will be understood,however, that.

the dimensions herein referred to are given merely as the preferreddimensions and not with an intention of restricting the scope ofapplicants invention, the dimensions changed quite materially fromsignated and good results obtained.

The top portion or roof of the neck 2 through which the conduit 3communicates with the interior of the neck is preferably slightlyrearwardly inclined from adjacent to the rear edge of the gable roofportion 5, and the tube or conduit 3 is shown as extending for a shortdistance substantially in a perpendicular plane from the roof portion 6and then extending upward in a vertical plane to connect with thecustomary tonearm conduit.

It is found in practice that the provision of a neck of the form shownand. described lends volume and color to "the tones and tends to moredistinctly bring out the base notes than is the case with the'horns nowemployed with whichI-am familiar.

W'thin" "the tom 1 "at each side oran thereof and slightly in advance ofits neck connecting opening is what may be termed a banking element 7,which comprises a strip-of metal or vother suitable material, vwhichextends inward and rearward from the respective sidewall of the horn-andterminates at its rear edge adjacent to the inner reduced end ofthehorn. Thiselement also extends from top to bottom of the horn'so'that it cotiperates with the top and bot- .tom and respective sidewall of the horn to form a space or chamber 8 which is preferably openonly at its rear to the interior of the horn. While it is preferable toplace these banking elements at substantially the positions noted itwill-be. understood that such positions may be varied withoutavoidingthe invention. It is found that the provision of these bankingelements causes a material improvement in certain tones and;

' tends materially to render some if not all of the tones produced morenatural and clear.

For instance, in the playing of "a piano record it is found that theprovision of the banking elements causes a more natural ringing of thenotes than can otherwise be obtained and the dead metallic sound of thenotes which has always -seen so objectionable'in phonographs and likeinstruments is I very 1 gelyeli'minated- In ctr-pending applicationSerial Number 220,1'47 is disclosed the idea of providing a plurality ofvibrator reeds or tongues arranged side by side across the inner endportion of the horn throat and braced adjacent to their outer or freeends with respect to the upper or lower horn wall byrods or wires, Insaid application the reeds are disclosed as being of substantially thesame form and size and the bracing rods or wires project forward fromadjacent to the free ends of the reeds. From experiments I have i foundthat the best results are obtained by making the reeds of various shapesand sizes and providing them with fingers of different'forms andrigidity. In this manner a greater variety of notes of differentcharacter may be picked up and amplified or the correct reproductionthereof facilitated as the variegated shapes andforms of the d1f-'ferent vibrator reeds cause them to respond ins'ympathy-to the variousnotes produced,

one note being in tune or sympathy with one reed orv one or more fingersthereof and another note of a different character in tune or sympathywith other reeds or fingers thereof. For instance, the rapid vibration-of a soprano voice sets one reed in motion handtheslower Vibration ofthe basso affects another reed; These supplementary vibraof the horn toadjacent the opposite wail-and have their free ends forwardly angled; asat 10. These reeds are slit toform amultiplicity of fingers 11ofvariegated"forms and the bracing rods or wires 12 project forw a'rd,

in the present instance, from the reeds ad jacent to their centers andare fixed at their outer ends to one of'the walls of the horn,preferably to the wall thereof from which the associated reed projects.I i

I wish it understood-that myinvention is not limited to any specificmaterial, construction, arrangement or form of the parts'yor toanyp'articular dimensions referrec to,

as numerous modifications"may berinade;

without departing from the spirit or the claims. v V I,

Having thus descrlbed' my invention, what I claim as new, and deslre tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A phonograph horn having a conduit which extends rearwardlyanddownwardly from its upper end, a neck secured tof'the conduit andhaving a horizontal bottom :wall oper se and a gabled top wall, and ahorn p cured to the front of the" neck.

A phonograph horn having apair of spaced banking elements arranged atits oplposite sides to form inwardly facing chamers.

- 3. A phonograph horn having span of spaced banking elements arrangedat its opposite sides to form inwardly facing chambers, and a seriesofto ngues arranged across the space between the elements.

4. In combination withfa phonograph" horn, a tongue'therein'aiiixedatone endhto the horn and having its opposite end free and slitted.-

5. In combination lth 'a imtgiapn horn, a tongue therein afiixed at oneend to the horn and having its opposite endffree and slitted and turnedat an angle to the major portion of the tongue.

6. In combination with horn, a tongue therein affixed at one end to thehorn and having its opposite end free,

a phonograph and a brace rod aifixed at one end to substantially thecenter of the tongue and at its opposite end being aflixed to the horn.

7. In combination with a phonograph horn, a tongue therein aflixed atone end to the horn and having its opposite end free, and a brace rodaffixed at one end to sub stantiallyjthe center of the tongue and at itsopposite end being affixed to the horn, said tongue having its freeendturned at an angle and overlying the first named end of the brace rod.

' 8. In combination with a phonograph hogan, a series of spaced tonguesarranged across the throat of the horn and alternately affixed at oneend to the horn and having their opposite ends free, all of the tongueshaving their free ends turned toward the mouth of the horn.

9. In combination with a phonograph horn, a tongue afiixed at one end tothe horn and having its opposite end free and turned at an angle.

10. In combination with a phonograph horn, a tongue afiixed at one endto the horn and havin its opposite end free and 'slitted and turne at anangle.

11. In combination with a phonograph rs at the respective sides ofconfronting the throat thereof and arranged in spaced relation toprovide a sound passage therebetween. 13. A phonograph horn having asound receiving chamber confronting the :throat anddisposed in spacedrelation to a wall of the horn so as to provide a sound passage inconjunction with said wall.

14. A phonograph horn having spaced sound receiving chambers and tonguesin the space between the chambers.

15. A phonograph horn having a series of vibratory tongues therein, saidtongues varying as to their areas and-being formed of substantial widthsso as to constitute a continuation of the horn considered as adiaphragm.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification.

FRED C. LYON.

